Today’s Wordle #728 Hints, Clues And Answer For Saturday, June 17th

I’ve been thinking about where we’re at with Wordle and what’s a little astonishing is we’re very nearly to Wordle #730. That’s significant because it means two whole years of Wordles are behind us, though virtually no one played the game back when it was Wordle #1. I certainly haven’t been writing this column for two full years, having begun my Wordle guides back in January of 2022.

The second anniversary of Wordle lines up almost exactly with two other big events: The next day, on June 20th, I turn one year older. I am not as excited about this as I have been in years past! Then, on June 21st, we have the solstice and the official start to summer. Huzzah!

In any case, let’s do this Wordle—one of the last Wordles of spring!

How To Solve Today’s Wordle

The Hint: What does salad dressing have in common with cowboys?

The Clue: This word has way more consonants than vowels.

The Answer:

.

.

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Ranch!

Wordle Bot Analysis

I’m on a bit of a winning streak here! I think the last three days I’ve gotten the Wordle in just three guesses. Today, my opening guess—windy, because it’s been super windy lately!—slashed the remaining possible solutions down to just 71.

My second guess—shame because I wanted to eliminate more vowels and other common letters—cut that number down to just one. And after a little juggling, I figured out it must be ranch, and it was! Huzzah!

Today’s Score: Unfortunately, Wordle Bot and I tied today. So that’s 0 points for tying, but 1 point for guessing in three, for a grand total of 1 point. Yippee kayak other buckets!

Today’s Wordle Etymology

The word “ranch” originated in North America and has its etymological roots in Spanish. It is derived from the Spanish word “rancho,” which originally referred to a small farm or a plot of land used for grazing livestock. The term “rancho” itself came from the Spanish verb “rancharse,” meaning “to lodge” or “to take up residence.”

The concept of a ranch as a large-scale farming and livestock operation became prominent in the western regions of the United States and Canada during the 19th century. As Anglo-American settlers moved westward, they adopted the term “ranch” to describe their own vast agricultural enterprises, modeled after the Spanish rancho system.

Over time, the word “ranch” gained broader usage and is now commonly associated with large farms or estates primarily focused on raising livestock, such as cattle or horses. It has become a widely recognized term in many parts of the world, although its origins can be traced back to Spanish influences in North America.

Play Competitive Wordle Against Me!

I’ve been playing a cutthroat game of PvP Wordle against my nemesis Wordle But. Now you should play against me! I can be your nemesis! (And your helpful Wordle guide, of course). You can also play against the Bot if you have a New York Times subscription.

• Here are the rules:1 point for getting the Wordle in 3 guesses.
• 2 points for getting it in 2 guesses.
• 3 points for getting it in 1 guess.
• 1 point for beating Erik
• 0 points for getting it in 4 guesses.
• -1 point for getting it in 5 guesses.
• -2 points for getting it in 6 guesses.
• -3 points for losing.
• -1 point for losing to Erik

You can either keep a running tally of your score if that’s your jam or just play day-to-day if you prefer.

I’d love it if you gave me a follow on Twitter or Facebook dearest Wordlers. Have a lovely day!

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